The
small village of Blythburgh, set in a beautiful landscape in north-east
Suffolk where the A12 trunk road crosses the river Blyth, is perhaps
best known for its magnificent church, described by the distinguished
Suffolk historian Norman Scarfe as a most memorable sight on the road
from London to Yarmouth. The church hints of a rich and influential
past belied by today's small community. Blythburgh certainly has a
most interesting history, and the area is rich in artistic, literary
and musical associations.

In 1994 the
Blythburgh Society, conceived in 1989 and formally established in
1992, issued the first of its series of Blyth Valley History Notes.
The aim was to provide an easy way of 'getting into print' for anyone
with something interesting to say about the history of the area,
its places and its people. The Notes could be brief reports of original
research (too often never published), accounts of events or topics
culled from published works, transcripts of information not readily
available and thought to be of interest to a wider audience, or
combinations of all three.

The aim of the
editor has been to encourage the production of Notes with an accessible
style but which nevertheless are authoritative, founded on evidence,
separating history from mystery. This collection does not claim
to give a balanced view of the history of the Blyth valley. It represents
the current interests of the contributors. They hope that readers
will be interested in what they have to say, will be encouraged
to ask their own questions about this fascinating area, and perhaps
contribute their own Note to the series.